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public transport systems in form of buses or trains are not the future for short distances.
People are much too individualistic nowadays. Individualization won't stop anytime soon if ever at all. People want a connection every 30 minutes minimum to each tiny village. This does not work.

What is growing are shared cars and bicycles.
And when in not far future cars drive by themselves the number of cars will decrease tremendously, because you order a car to your door like a taxi.

Shared cars work well in the cities here in North America. They seem to be popular among younger people. On this continent, we are very individualistic and inter-city public transportation is sketchy. When I was young and had less money, I used it a couple of times (an inter-city bus once, a train once) but as soon as I got a job, I bought vehicles of my own. I can't imagine North Americans giving up their cars and personal liberty and getting on buses and trains...that may work in Europe but not here. Our distances are too long, we don't have the infrastructure - nor is there the public will to develop it - and we enjoy our private mobility.

Electric vehicles (cars, pleasure boats and private airplanes) are probably the way to go, especially as crude-oil based fuels become more and more expensive.

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>>>>edited<<< Electric vehicles (cars, pleasure boats and private airplanes) are probably the way to go, especially as crude-oil based fuels become more and more expensive.

More generally Ultra Low Emission Vehicles ULEVs of which plug-in EVs (PHEVs) etc and EVs are four wheeled subsets that need infrastructure. And of course no one can agree on global standardisation - single phase/three phase charge post plugs/charge as you drive along M-way slow lanes etc.

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Electric vehicles (cars, pleasure boats and private airplanes) are probably the way to go, especially as crude-oil based fuels become more and more expensive.

What people praising electric vehicles are often forgetting, is from where does the electricity come from and how are the vehicles supplied with the said electricity. What is the point to have an electric vehicle if the electricity comes from oil and shale gaz and oil? What's the point if batteries cost too much to the environment and are in limited quantity like oil?

There are, in my opinion, better way than gambling everything on this card. Hydrogen engine is also a good candidate if some details can be fixed and synthetic oil is probably one of the easiest way if we can produce it in sufficient amount.

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What people praising electric vehicles are often forgetting, is from where does the electricity come from and how are the vehicles supplied with the said electricity. What is the point to have an electric vehicle if the electricity comes from oil and shale gaz and oil? What's the point if batteries cost too much to the environment and are in limited quantity like oil?

There are, in my opinion, better way than gambling everything on this card. Hydrogen engine is also a good candidate if some details can be fixed and synthetic oil is probably one of the easiest way if we can produce it in sufficient amount.

Yes these arguments are valid for as long as there are sufficient resources to meet escalating demand. Schools protesters main argument is that previous generations have got rich on squandering fossil fuels that were accumulated on this planet over millions if not billions of years. What's left for future generations except one collectively big headache? It's one hell of a big argument that demands answers from the highest level.

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What people praising electric vehicles are often forgetting, is from where does the electricity come from and how are the vehicles supplied with the said electricity. What is the point to have an electric vehicle if the electricity comes from oil and shale gaz and oil? What's the point if batteries cost too much to the environment and are in limited quantity like oil?

There are, in my opinion, better way than gambling everything on this card. Hydrogen engine is also a good candidate if some details can be fixed and synthetic oil is probably one of the easiest way if we can produce it in sufficient amount.

Electric powered vehicles are less polluting than petrol-powered vehicles even if the electricity is produced from a dirty fuel such as coal. That’s what I’ve read and you can probably find references to it on the net. Even if the electricity comes from the cleanest wind or hydro power, there will be a negative impact on the environment. Then there’s the matter of recycling very toxic expended batteries.

Any economic activity has a negative impact. You can’t get away from it.